Functions and their Graphs

Lesson 2
Sections 1.2 and 1.3
Directions for Open–Minded
Questions – Warm Up
 Everyone silently read through both problems.
 Write down what you know.
 Read the two questions again.
 Group Discuss

 You have 5 minutes to read and discuss and 10 minutes or less to show solutions.
Solve the following. Try to find
multiple solution paths!

 In an all-adult apartment building, 2/3 of the men are

married to 3/5 of the women. What fraction of the
residents is married?

 A farmer had hens and rabbits. These animals have

50 heads and 140 feet. How many hens and rabbits
does the farmer have?
 In an all-adult apartment building, 2/3 of the men are married
to 3/5 of the women. What fraction of the residents is married?
 A farmer had hens and rabbits. These animals have 50 heads
and 140 feet. How many hens and rabbits does the farmer have?
 Objective
To be able to identify a function and to be
able to graphically represent functions.

 Purpose
To help describe input-output relations in
real-world applications and to use functions
to model and solve real-life problems. 
Relation
 Relation – pairs of quantities that are related
to each other

 Example: The area A of a circle is related to

its radius r by the formula

A  r . 2
Function
 There are different kinds of relations.

 When a relation matches each item from one

set with exactly one item from a different set
the relation is called a function.
Definition of a Function
 A function is a relationship between two
variables such that each value of the first
variable is paired with exactly one value of
the second variable.

 The domain is the set of permitted x values.

 The range is the set of found values of y.

These can be called images.
Is it a Function?
 For each x, there is
only one value of y. Domain, x Range, y
1 -3.6
 Therefore, it IS a 2 -3.6
function. 3 4.2
4 4.2
5 10.7
6 12.1
52 52
Is it a function?
 Three different y-
values (7, 8, and 10) Domain, x Range, y
are paired with one x- 3 7
value. 3 8
3 10
 Therefore, it is NOT a
4 42
function
10 34
11 18
52 52
Function?
 Is it a function? State the domain and range.
{(5, 8), (6, 7), (3, -1), (4, 2), (5, 9), (12, -2)

 No. The x-value of 5 is paired with two

different y-values.
 Domain: (5, 6, 3, 4, 12)
 Range: (8, 7, -1, 2, 9, -2)
Vertical Line Test
 Used to determine if a graph is a function.
 If a vertical line intersects the graph at more than
one point, then the graph is NOT a function.

NOT a Function
Is it a function? Give the domain and
range.
FUNCTION
Domain :   4,2
Range :   4,4
Give the Domain and Range.

Domain : x  1 Domain : 2  x  2
Range : y  2 Range : 0  y  3
Functional Notation

 We have seen an equation written in the form

y = some expression in x.

 Another way of writing this is to use

functional notation.

 For Example, you could write y = x²

as f(x) = x².
Functional Notation: Find the following
f ( x)  3x 2  x  2 f ( x)  x  x  2
2

f (3) f ( m  3)

3  3    3  2
2
 m  3   m  3  2
2

27  3  2  m  3 m  3  m  3  2
30  2
m 2  3m  3m  9  m  3  2
32
m 2  5m  8
Let’s look at Functions
Graphically
Find: f ( 2)  g ( 4)

f ( x) g ( x)
Find: f ( 5)  g ( 0 )

f ( x) g ( x)
Find: f ( 4)  g ( 1)

f ( x) g ( x)
Find: f ( 2)  g (0)

f ( x) g ( x)
Piecewise-Defined Function
 A piecewise-defined function is a function that is
defined by two or more equations over a specified
domain.

 The absolute value function f  x   x

can be written as a piecewise-defined function.

 The basic characteristics of the absolute value

function are summarized on the next page.
Absolute Value Function is a
Piecewise Function
Example

 Evaluate the function when x = -1 and 0.

Domain of a Function
 The domain of a function can be implied by
the expression used to define the function

 The implied domain is the set of all real

numbers for which the expression is defined.

 For example,
 The function has an implied
domain that consists of all real x other than
x = ±2

 The domain excludes x-values that result

in division by zero.
 Another common type of implied domain is
that used to avoid even roots of negative
numbers.
 EX:
is defined only for x  0.

The domain excludes x-values that result

in even roots of negative numbers.
Graphs of Functions

Lesson 3
 Objective:
To graph a function using domain and
range, even or odd, relative min/max.

 Purpose:
To introduce methods to help graph a
function.
Domain & Range of a Function
What is the
domain of
the graph of
the function
f?

A :   1,4 
Domain & Range of a Function
What is the
range of
the graph of
the function
f?

  5,4
Domain & Range of a Function
Find f   1 and f  2 .

f   1  5

f  2  4
 Let’s look at domain and range of a
function using an algebraic approach.

 Then, let’s check it with a graphical

approach.
 Find the domain and range of
f  x   x  4.

 Algebraic Approach

The expression under the radical can not be negative.

Therefore, x  4  0. Domain
A: x  4 Since the domain is never negative the
or range is the set of all nonnegative real
 4,   numbers.
A: y  0
or Range
 0,  
 Find the domain and range of
f  x   x  4.

 Graphical Approach
Increasing and Decreasing
Functions
 The more you know about the graph of
a function, the more you know about
the function itself.

 Consider the graph on the next slide.

Falls from x = -2 to x = 0.

Is constant from x = 0 to
x = 2.

Rises from x = 2 to x = 4.
Ex: Find the open intervals on which the
function is increasing, decreasing, or constant.

Increases over
the entire real
line.
Ex: Find the open intervals on which the
function is increasing, decreasing, or constant.

INCREASING :
  ,1 and 1,  
DECREASING :
  1,1
Ex: Find the open intervals on which the
function is increasing, decreasing, or constant.

INCREASING :
   ,0 
CONSTANT :
 0,2
DECREASING :
 2,  
Relative Minimum and
Maximum Values
Relative Min/Max
 The point at which a function changes
its increasing, decreasing, or constant
behavior are helpful in determining the
relative maximum or relative
minimum values of a function.
General Points – We’ll find
EXACT points later……
Approximating a Relative
Minimum
 Example: Use a GDC to approximate
the relative minimum of the function
given by

f  x   3 x  4 x  2.
2
 f  x   3 x  4 x  2.
2

 Put the function into the “y = “ the

press zoom 6 to look at the graph.
 Press 2nd Calc, 3:minimum, left bound,
right bound, enter at the lowest point.
Example
 Use a GDC to approximate the relative
minimum and relative maximum of the
function given by

f  x    x  x.
3
Solution
Relative Minimum

(-0.58, -0.38)
Solution
Relative Maximum

(0.58, 0.38)
Step Functions and
Piecewise-Defined Functions
Because of the vertical jumps, the greatest integer function is an example
of a step function.
 Let’s graph a Piecewise-
Defined Function
 Sketch the graph of

 2 x  3, x  1
f  x  
 x  4, x  1
Notice when open
dots and closed
dots are used. Why?
Even and Odd Functions
Graphically
 Algebraically

Let’s look at the graphs again and see if this applies.

Graphically

☺ ☺
Example
 Determine whether each function is
even, odd, or neither.
 Graphical –
Algebraic Symmetric to
Origin
Algebraic
Graphical –
Symmetric to y-
axis
 Graphical – NOT
Algebraic Symmetric to
origin OR y-axis.
You Try
 Is the function
f  x  x
 Even, Odd, of Neither?
 f  x  x
Solution

Symmetric about the y-axis.